Rio De Janeiro: Romario, who turns 37 next month, says he still dreams of playing for Brazil again.

“While I’m still playing, I will always dream of playing for the national team,” Brazilian media reported him as saying on Monday.

“But after missing out on two World Cups and two Olympic Games, I don’t let it get to me any more. Whatever comes along from now will be a bonus.”

The striker has had a bitter-sweet international career since leading Brazil to victory at the 1994 World Cup, when he scored five goals.

He missed the 1998 World Cup because of a nagging calf muscle injury and was left out of the squad in 2002 by Luiz Felipe Scolari, even though many fans still considered him to be Brazil’s best striker at the time. Not even a tearful public plea from Romario could soften Scolari’s heart.

Romario was also left out of the 1996 and 2000 Olympic squads, depriving him of a chance to improve on the silver medal he won in Seoul in 1988.

Romario, whose 15 goals in the Brazilian championship helped modest Fluminense to the semi-finals, made his comments at Rio de Janeiro airport as he returned from a holiday in Jamaica. (Reuters)